[Asterisk-Users] Re: [Asterisk-biz] Opportunities for good billing solutions

[snacktime]

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 19:24:13 -0500, Joseph Benden
<joe at thrallingpenguin.com> wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> My company, Thralling Penguin LLC, has been working on a billing solution,
> but as everyone points out - it's a huge project.
> 
> I would like to say that I've been working on a few PHP scripts for rating
> calls, monthly billing, PDF invoicing, etc.  However, I want to completely
> rewrite them in C/C++.  My current PHP billing system just doesn't scale
> well, and I need it too.  :)
> 
> So, I'm offering to help start this project....
> 
> Anyone else in?  :)   Maybe I could host the CVS, etc. or we could even use
> SourceForge, doesn't matter, I've actually got a ton of bandwidth and
> servers...

I was planning on putting up a website myself as soon as I worked
through a couple of things.  I have servers and bandwidth also if
needed, although I'd rather not use Sourceforge if it can at all be
helped...  Personally I like subversion, but cvs is ok too if that's
what people want.


The main issue I have yet to resolve completely is how to allow other
developers access to the proprietary parts of the code.  I need to
contact Vital to see what their comfort level is with open source.  
My guess is the answer will be no public distribution of any source
that implements their api, but it should be ok for developers who sign
up as an integration partner  to get access.  For anyone that is
interested in what's involved you can to to www.vitalps.com and sign
up to be an integration partner.  When you submit their form you will
then get the contract emailed to you.  If you go through with it there
is a $150 fee.   Due to the fact that there would be significant
consequences if any source got out on the net, I think I am just going
to go ahead and let developers who want access to that part of the
code to sign up with Vital directly.  There are other ways of doing
it, such as using my company to bind developers to the same terms, but
then my head is on the block if a developer does something they aren't
supposed to.   I don't really want to have Visa coming after me for
anything that goes wrong unless it's my own mistake.


Another issue is what license to use.  Personally I like the BSD
license.  The credit card engine can't be GPL because of the tightly
linked proprietary parts.  LGPL would work, but I really don't like
the LGPL.  Well that's my 2 cents on that subject..


Chris